Welcome to Writing North 16: Things Are Not As They Seem. All events will be held in the Main Lounge at St. Andrew’s College at the University of Saskatchewan (1121 College Drive) in Saskatoon. Two events – Friday’s Feature Talk and Saturday’s Panel - will also be livestreamed, recorded and available for 30 days after the festival on SWG’s YouTube channel.
The entire festival is free. All are welcome. All times are posted in Saskatchewan time; please consult your favourite time zone converter.
RSVP to the festival here.
Presenter and host bios are available here.
Accessibility information is available here.
Friday, January 23
Feature Talk: “Anishinaabe History and Writing the Future” with Waubgeshig Rice and Reception
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Main Lounge, St. Andrew’s College and livestreamed
The novels Moon of the Crusted Snow and Moon of the Turning Leaves, together known as The Whitesky Saga, are works of speculative fiction that are greatly inspired by Anishinaabe history and culture. Waubgeshig will discuss how his upbringing in his home community of Wasauksing First Nation empowered him to explore a culturally-informed approach to the post-apocalyptic genre, and how he looked to the past and the true history of this land to write about the future.
Saturday, January 24
Poetry Interactive Talk with Emily Riddle
10:00-11:30 am
Main Lounge. St. Andrew’s College (in person only)
Description TBA
“Worldbuilding for Fiction”: An Interactive Talk with Tonia Laird
1:00 – 2:30 pm
Main Lounge, St. Andrew’s College (in person only)
Fictional worlds are built by their writer, no matter the genre. This workshop explores worldbuilding for both speculative and literary fiction, focusing on how societal, cultural, familial, and environmental influences can shape characters and plot throughout a story. Worksheets provided.
Panel Discussion “Things Are Not As They Seem”
with Waubgeshig Rice, Emily Riddle, Tonia Laird, and host Elena Bentley
2:45-3:45 pm
Main Lounge, St. Andrew’s College and livestreamed
Reclamation, reconnection, hope, and rebirth are all thematic links between Indigenous writers Waubgeshig Rice, Emily Riddle, and Tonia Laird’s books. Despite writing in different genres, each writer explores the effects of settler colonialism and challenges it within their narratives. Join us for this panel discussion with Waubgeshig, Emily, and Tonia while they discuss contending with fraught histories and writing hope for different futures and worlds. Hosted by Elena Bentley.
